Combination child&#39;s crib and dressing table



Sept. 22, 1953 J. A. TOOMEY COMBINATION CHILDS CRIB AND DRESSING TABLE Filed June 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 22, 1953 J. A. TOOMEY COMBINATION CHILD'S CRIB AND DRESSING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 22, 1953 COMBINATION CHILDS CRIB AND DRESSING TABLE John A. Toomey, Worcester, Mass.

Application June 24, 1947, Serial No. 756,677

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and improved combination childs crib and dressing tables, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a crib having a very easily raisable mattress spring which may be elevated to the top of the crib for use of the mattress as a table at utility height, 1. e., about thirty-six inches, the proven optimum working height; or alternatively, the mattress spring just as easily may be lowered within the crib to a safe level, about twenty-four inches below the top of the crib, for safe keeping and sleeping of the infant without attendance; the present construction having the additional advantage of adjustability and positioning at any level between the extremes named above.

Further objects of the invention reside in the particular scissors or cross lever and shaft mech anism for obtaining the results recited above, and in handy manual or power operated means for actuating the mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a pictorial view in end elevation illustrating the invention and showing the extremes of position of the crib spring;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the spring raising mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of the crib;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the device;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the link adjusting means.

The best of the prior art cribs have drop sides latched in upper position to contain and restrain the occupant, and include hand or knee operated means to release the latches to let the sides drop so that the mother may lift the infant in or out without having to lean over the top of the crib side, usually forty inches or higher when the drop side is in raised position. The crib springs are fixed, or adjustable to lower the infant as he grows and becomes more active. However, these cribs are seldom usable as dressing tables as the springs are too low, and the latches are apt to jam or fail and let the drop side fall accidentally. Of course, without the drop side, the mother has to lift the infant up over the top rail of the crib side and support the infant until it is down on the mattress, about eighteen inches from the floor.

This invention obviates the need for the drop side, provides a utility height dressing table, and reduces the necessity for stooping or bending on the part of the mother, besides providing the henefits recited in the objects of the invention.

In Fig. 1, there is shown a crib generally indicated at It and having a total height of thirty-six inches, the well known utility height. The figure of the nurse or mother l2 illustrates the fact that bending is reduced for dressing or otherwise caring for the infant H3 with the crib spring and mattress at uppermost height. On the other hand, the crib spring and mattress l6 are shown in dotted lines in lowermost position wherein the infant is secure in a. solid crib having no drop sides, so the infant is safer and nearer the floor level.

In order to easily and quickly raise and lower the crib spring it is provided with a pair of horizontal slots H3 at each end and in each slot there is disposed a sliding pin or roller secured to the end of each of a pair of cross or scissors links 22 pivoted centrally at 24. At their lower ends these links are pivoted to nuts 26 in mesh with a right and left screw shaft 28 journaled in the sides of the crib chassis.

A shaft 30 is provided with worms 32 at each end and is disposed centrally longitudinally of the crib at the bottom. The worms are in gear with worm wheels 34 on shafts 28 and as the shaft 30 is rotated, the scissors links expand or contract to lower or raise respectively the crib spring and mattress.

A cross shaft 36 is used to rotate shaft 30 by means of a worm, similar to that shown in Fig. 6, and shaft 36 may be connected as by a sprocket wheel and a, sprocket chain to a wheel 38, the latter being arranged to be turned by a hand crank 40 or by an electric motor with appropriate on and off controls. The crank is placed at a height to be operated without stooping.

The crib itself may assume any form of solid construction but preferably is made of angle irons 42 or the like. In the corners, these may accommodate wheels or rollers 44 on the crib spring to stabilize the same.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an apparatus carrying out the objects stated, and that the crib spring is easily and quickly raised and lowered, with the infant thereon, in perfect safety and reducing all stooping, bending, etc. The device is of such a nature that it will maintain itself, where placed vertically by friction, but if desired stop means may be employed to keep the spring at topmost level.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A crib comprising a frame, a spring bed bottom vertically movable therein, a geared shaft at the bottom of the crib, means to rotate the shaft, a left and right threaded cross shaft at each end of the crib also at the bottom thereof, gears to drive the cross shafts from the geared shaft, a pair of nuts on each cross shaft for movement toward or away from each other depending on the direction of rotation of the shafts, a link pivoted to each nut, said links being pivoted to each other intermediate their ends in pairs at the respective ends of the crib, the other ends of said links being slidably connected to the spring bed bottom.

2. The crib of claim 1 wherein said; means is located exterior of the crib frame at a height above the shafts.

3. The crib of claim 1 including vertical guides in the corners of the crib frame and rollers onthe spring riding in the guides.

4. The crib of claim 1 wherein said means to 4 rotate the shaft includes a central cross shaft geared to the geared shaft below the spring bed bottom and means to rotate the central cross shaft from the exterior of the crib frame.

JOHN A. TOOMEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 278,818 Poolman et a1 June 5, 1883 346,246 Uhde July 27, 1886 755,706 Schellenbach Mar. 29, 1904 919,865 Holden Apr. 2'7, 1909 1,201,635 Ryder Oct. 17, 1916 2,299,136 Feldman Oct. 20, 1942 2,326,379 McNabb et a1 Aug. 10, 1943 

